Signal Role in Mission Command - Research Paper Example

? The future of Battle Command on the Move: Emerging Communication Technologies Number Introduction The beginning of the 21st century brought significant transformation to the battlegrounds. Rather than one focused threat, current militaries face a wide range of problems. Nationalist interests in every country and the growing pressure for national armies to take a full charge of their own security are increasingly making forward deployment of troop unnecessary (Tyler, 2008). The change to a force-projection troops demand that new rules of engagement and equipment be developed. Troops must be connected regularly to satellite-based communication. This means for effective command and control, force deployment can only take place in the face proper information communication technologies developing in the world. The main responsibility of the Signal Regiment is to ensure that the Army is successfully transformed into an information-technology period and new communication tools are being properly utilized. According to Rutt and Jette (2003), the increasing need for joint-service operations underscores the requirement for using common audio, imagery and data signals and networks for all warfighters. The objective is a flawless global system where signals can be transferred between users safely and easily in a way understandable to the user (McGrath, 2006). The main aim of communications technology tools is to guarantee the commander and personnel continuous safe communications during operation and on the front lines. To achieve this, the establishment of battle labs for emerging combat developments has made significant leaps on this front, especially in most developed countries such as the United States. Technology is known to change faster in communications and computerization than new innovation. In light of this, emerging technologies tend to be focused more on the personnel such as swift prototyping and trials by soldiers in a practical way. Satellite-based Communication A satellite-based signal transmission system for combat trucks is currently under evaluation. Lighter, petite, mobile and more effective systems are the impression for future battleground communications. Currently the trials are ongoing on Mounted Battle Command on-the-move systems powered by satellite communications that will offer broadband signals and communications to a commander on the battlefield (Bullock, &Marshall, 2011). The technology will use lighter, undersized, and less costly tracks with technologies mounted on it to improve communications for battle commands on the move. Nonetheless, the development of gadgets that will practically work in adverse combat environment is still a challenge to the manufacturers. Future signal transmissions will witness the placement of small satellite receivers on military trucks, especially those that are meant for command and control operations on the battlefields (McGrath, 2006). The main aim of these operations is to connect a large number of these trucks using satellites, so that the army can operate anywhere across the world with relative ease. Currently, physical barriers are an issue on the battlegrounds, and as result commanders are forced to move closer to the frontline for effective communication (Rutt, & Jette, 2003). However, in future, commanders will have the capacity to establish several communication channels between them, and the lower-level personnel anywhere in the combat zones. Expanded communications reach Recent experiences in the war on terrorism have emphasized the need to align battlefield movements with quick and easier communication (Tyler, 2008). Future communications will therefore have further geographical reach compared to the scope of current communications. The currently limited reach of communications poses a bigger problem to command and control between forward deployed units and those that are in the rear (Bullock, &Marshall, 2011). Current technological weaknesses also impede proper communications with troops deployed to the flanks, especially if they are dispersed across large swathes of lands in the battlespace. During the Operation Iraqi Freedom, for instance, the desert environment posed unbearable terrain obstacles and vast distance that barred line-of-sight signal transfers (Rutt, & Jette, 2003). In such debilitating situations, achieving effective command and control can only be viable if the troop commanders are able to resort to satellite communications. Satellite communications can relay the signals to any place including the remote locations. Future technologies will address various weaknesses of satellite communications such as bad weather, urban congestion as well as the natural principles of physics. Automation of signal transmission Future communication technologies may reduce the necessity of a larger manpower but enhance increased reliance on automated systems. The changes will touch off the transformation of the army: reliance on automated systems will alter the original organization, culture, and processes within the military on the move (McGrath, 2006). For example, the automations will change how troops can interact with commanders stationed far away. Before, signalers would effectively send a courier or use telephone communications after a cable had been laid and relay stations were functioning properly. Today, owing to the continuous underground enemy operations, suicide bombers and saboteurs, a physical cable is a legitimate military target of the enemy; the enemy will just cut or even infiltrate the cable to interfere with the communications. Also, to secure it, commanders were forced to deploy of a large number of force along the communication cable to deter any enemy attempts to disconnect it. However, future communications will witness an expansion in the way signal units can be relayed. For example, radio communications in different forms such as WiFi, laser, satellite, WiMax, and physical line-of-sight signal waves will be on the rise (Tyler, 2008). These technologies will have a great impact on the equipping of military units on the battlegrounds with necessary skill sets. Whereas improvements and innovations on systems usually result in better capabilities, future technologies will be integrated with new procedures for more effective signal transfer and reception. Higher bandwidth New satellite applications have been developing much more regularly in the recent past, with enormous projects such as MUOS, Iridium NEXT, and GPS III in a crescendo stage (Rutt, & Jette, 2003). As signal transmission through satellite becomes increasingly used on the battlegrounds, and in normal combat operations, the industry is developing new programs with better technology to shore up for the weaker communications that were used previouly. Developments of satellite communications will be driven by higher bandwidth and lower latency (Bullock, &Marshall, 2011). Massive improvements are also expected for terminals installed on the ground. The stations will likely be made smaller and cost effective, but more efficient to support a bigger command structure on the move. Future technologies will not only be driven by superior gadgets, but will encompass new domains for RF connections with satellites as well (Bullock, &Marshall, 2011). Notably, for RF communication capacities rapid transformations to increasingly higher frequencies are expected. According to Bullock and Marshall (2011), the expected transformations into more satellites with bigger capacities such as Ka-band transponders will open the avenue for more communication channels across large swathes of battlegrounds. The maximization of the number of satellite channels for communications by various military commands allows armies to capture and send signals of higher resolution and bigger memory than before. As at now, Ka-band is the best frequency in use by satellite companies, though with greater demands for stealth operations on the frontlines, there is a likelihood of having higher frequencies as major technological innovations take effect. The current communications systems based on satellite communications have been advanced, yet superior frequencies such as Q band and V band, are currently underway. The innovations arising from satellite communications are natural. It has been evolving over the second half of the twentieth century. According to McGrath (2006), the satellite-based communication technology that exists today is far much better than the technology that commanders used in the late 1990s, and, with an increasing demand for quicker and more reliable satellite communication, more government budgets are expected to be channeled toward the advancement of satellite technologies. Conclusion Information is likely to play a pivotal role in the future battlefields. Almost all of troops need to be aware of the positions and the ability of not only their fellow troops but the enemy as well. Unreliable communications channels lacking adequate bandwidth can be a precursor to defeat. The development of satellite communications and their expected widespread use in future is expected to end these challenges by providing faster, and more reliable signal transmission that are beyond interception or jamming by the enemy on the battlegrounds. In the past, the installation of large antennas was a prerequisite measure to enjoying satellite access. This complicated matters for soldiers on the move. Conventional radio gadgets were used as opposed to installing a terminal supported by a satellite antenna on the battlegrounds. Today, satellite communications can come in portable systems, but they are set to be smaller and more powerful. Since satellites are increasingly becoming cheaper and more accessible to military personnel on the move, future commanders are expected to rely heavily on such systems. Satellite technology provides commanders in the frontlines an efficient and safe means of passing signals to the personnel under their command; the command centers that organize vital aerial support, and other military units. References Bullock, C.L., &Marshall, P. (2011). New expeditionary Signal battalion model provides greater capabilities. Army Communicator, 36(3), 12-13. McGrath, J.J. (2006). Crossing the Line of Departure: Battle Command on the Move: A Historical Perspective. Retrieved from Rutt, J.A., & Jette, J.J. (2003). From tactical to installational 63rd Signal Battalion in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Army Communicator, 28(3), 11-14. Tyler, A.G. (2008). CSSAMO 101: A brief guide and experiences from a signal Soldier in a logistical world. Army Communicator, 33(2), 7-10. Read More